Gayza Restaurant

Gayza is the restaurant of Riad Fès, the Relais & Châteaux hotel in the Zerbtana area of the medina, and it is one of the most polished places to eat in the old city. Its kitchen pairs two very different backgrounds. Chef Abida has spent around twenty years at the hotel presenting Fassi cuisine, while Chef Michel Nave, a Meilleur Ouvrier de France and former sous-chef to Pierre Gagnaire, joined more recently to create menus that bring French and Moroccan traditions together. The two work on the menus jointly, using regional produce.

The result is refined cooking that moves easily between the two cuisines. Dishes highlighted by the restaurant include a sea bream fillet in olive oil and a spiced chicken supreme, and there are separate menus for lunch and dinner, which are published on the hotel website so you can look before booking. Diners who want classic Fassi dishes can find them alongside more European plates, which makes it a good choice for groups with different tastes.

The setting matches the food. The main dining room is decorated in an oriental style with a fireplace faced in green and gold zellij, and in good weather there is outdoor seating within the hotel. Before or after dinner you can take a drink at Gayza Le Bar, which serves Moroccan and international wines and signature cocktails, or go up to the hotel's rooftop terrace for views over the medina.

Lunch is served every day, including public holidays, from 12:15 to 13:45, and dinner every evening from 19:15 to 22:45. Book by phone or through the online booking page, especially for dinner at weekends and in high season. There is a strict dress code: elegant attire is expected, plastic sandals, flip-flops, waist bags and football shirts are not permitted, and after 7pm shorts are not allowed except for children under 12. Backpacks and large bags must be left at the luggage store.

Gayza suits a special occasion, a celebration dinner or a long, relaxed lunch away from the souks. Because it is inside the car-free medina, plan your route in advance, or ask the hotel how to reach it by taxi and on foot. If you are not staying at Riad Fès, a meal here is also an easy way to see one of the city's grandest restored palaces.